CAIRO: It might not be a fabrication, after all, that Egyptian cuisine is famous for its lip smacking mix of foods, pickles and juices as well as exclusive to a wide variety of cheese, as Tarek Tawfik, chairman of Food Commodity Council, presented the facts at a press conference to announce Egypt's participation in Germany's Anuga trade fair at the Nile Hilton Hotel. "The Egyptian food sector has made progress over the last four to five years. The first interesting development is growth of exports, Tawfik said. Earlier in 2001, food exports totaled $600 million while in 2006 they mounted to $870 million. Projections for 2007 estimate they will reach $1.7 billion. "Our food commodities are flourishing across the board. There are dairy products, processed vegetables and fruits, herbs, spices, juices, bottled water, and carbonated beverages, among other things, he added. "There's remarkable growth across all commodities. Egypt is the fourth largest exporter of food in the Mediterranean basin after Spain, Italy, and Morocco. "Egypt is the only country in the region that has a solid agricultural base. And we also have witnessed several remarkable investments in newly developed desert lands. All this contributes to the food industry, Tawfik explained. "We expect that size of food exports will have reached $2 billion by 2010. Already figures of 2006 and the first quarter of 2007 indicate that we might reach that target in one or two years only. But it is not only Egypt's stable climate and land that enhance the industry. It is also its heavy consumer culture. "There are around 75 million Egyptians consuming food and beverages everyday, not to mention tourists, stated Tawfik. "Growth rate in tourism is definitely increasing with almost 16 million tourists visiting Egypt each year, which implies a 25 percent increase in demand. That is how, he said, in 2005-06 total size of investments - both from local and international manufactures - was ten times bigger than that of the preceding decade. "We are enjoying a new business environment which has recently witnessed massive reforms. Custom duties are declining and the clutter that some exporters had to go through is has been reduced, making it a lot easier to export products. Investment in retail sectors, particularly in the restaurant business, is also on the rise. "In Egypt, we now have more than 350 branded international restaurants, and the number is growing on a yearly basis, Tawfik added. "The food sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in the country, said Helmy Abouleish, chairman of the Industrial Modernization Center (IMC). "It is also one of the most exporting and most employing sector. He highlighted that the IMC offered different sorts of export promotion activities to food manufacturers around the country such as showcasing their products in worldwide trade fairs. "Manufacturers need to be as competitive and global as China, India, South Africa, and many other countries. The Anuga fair, he said, was a staggering opportunity to maximize Egypt's share of food exports in the world. "Anuga is the biggest food fair in the world. And as in any other fair, manufacturers will not only benchmark and sell their products, but they will also look around and see what other countries are doing. Anuga is the world's largest trade fair for food and beverages taking place every two years in Germany. With the aim of meeting the needs of exhibitors and visitors alike, Anuga brings together a global variety of food and beverages including frozen food, meat, poultry, fish and dairy products, baked goods, beverages, and technology and services for catering and retail trade. The fair has also introduced new trends and innovations such as organic products and non-prescription medication and dietary supplements as well as halal, kosher, and vegetarian products. Egyptian participation at Anuga has been gradually intensifying. In 2003, more than 50 Egyptian companies attended the fair, and participation reached 75 in 2005. "This is a reason to celebrate because such high participation implies additional exports and a further increase in investments, Abouleish said. Highlighting food safety as a main concern for consumers worldwide, Tawfik said that companies were now moving towards adopting higher food safety standards. "Food safety has become a trend, a social standard, both on an international and a local level. To urge manufacturers to upgrade their standards, Tawfik said the Council "has stipulated that no company obtain our assistance in food exports unless it maintains the highest food safety standards. The Council, he pointed out, offered availing funds and technical assistance to food companies. Appropriate packaging is another important factor that manufacturers keen on boosting sales should pay attention to. "Consumer behavior has changed, and people want to buy well-packaged commodities. Some commodities, but not all, are in line with international packaging standards, which poses problems in exporting.
